Young trees will sometimes be wrapped with a protective material either made of a plastic or a biodegradable material. This wrap serves two primary functions: to protect the tree from physical damage, and to modify the immediate environment.
These wraps must be removed within a year of putting them on. Reasons it must be removed include: the tree needs room to grow, moisture could get trapped inside, insects could make their way inside, or wasps.
I remember when I was younger and our previous dog (Riley) was just a puppy, we had a sapling tree in our backyard. Riley was in the teething stage at the time and he chewed on everything he could find. Like any dog he loved to play fetch with sticks. The sapling tree in the backyard was no exception. He tore the thin layer of bark right from the tree with his razor sharp puppy teeth. To save the tree from external dangers we covered the tree with a wrap. Now eventually we had to remove the wrap in order to allow the tree to grow. But when we did get rid of the wrap, the tree was capable of being exposed to the elements. Now, almost a decade later, the section of the tree that was exposed still shows to this day. Yet, it has shrunk. The surrounding bark has almost enveloped the scar.
Most of my life I have lived with the feeling that I also have a wrap surrounding me. As we grow up, we must also get rid of the wrapping that is sheltering us from the dangers around us. The wrap might come in the form of being on my parents' insurance plan, or going to a school where there are people who are looking out for me. It takes the form of many other responsibilities and liabilities that are under the substitutionary atonement of others.
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